The present invention generally relates to a kitchen knife for household use and, more particularly, to a combined knife and slicer which can be used not only as an ordinary kitchen knife, but also as a slicer or slicing knife for cutting a solid food item, for example, a loaf of bread, a ham, a pineapple, a turnip or the like, into one or more slices of predetermined thickness.
Cutting a solid food item with an ordinary kitchen knife to produce even a single slice of 2 to 3 mm in thickness is not an easy task, and extraordinary skill is required to quickly exercise the continuous slicing of a solid food item with the use of an ordinary knife to produce a plurality of, for example, ten, slices of equal thickness. Various types of automated slicers effective to quickly and continuously slice a solid food item to produce one or more slices of equal thickness are currently commercially available, but not only are they expensive and bulky, but they require complicated and time-consuming procedures to clean and keep in ready-to-use condition as they are particularly suited for use in industry and/or shops.
When it comes to a slicer for household use both a hand-operated rotary slicer and a motor-driven version are currently commercially available, but they are still relatively bulky and expensive. They also require a relatively large space for storage when not in use. In addition, not only do they require complicated and time-consuming procedures to disassemble for cleaning purpose, but also they can be used for no other purpose than for slicing.